New Orleans - Brice Brown was selected as the New Orleans Saints' nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award, it was announced today. Representing the best at the high school level, Brown was nominated for the national award, which is named for the winningest coach in NFL history as a tribute to his character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.
Coach Brown has invested a multitude of years in leading and coaching a diverse population of young men in the New Orleans area and teaching the nuances of the game. In his two years as the head football coach at Edna Karr, the Cougars have competed in back-to-back state championship games. Brown returned to coach at his alma mater after he played his college football at Grambling State University. Immediately following college graduation, Brown was hired as Edna Karr's offensive coordinator before taking over the head coaching duties. Brown values a set of core beliefs focusing on responsibility and accountability for his players both on-and-off the field. With his consistent success, Brown keeps academics as the highest priority, placing an emphasis in the classroom ahead of all other pursuits. Furthermore, Edna Karr consistently sends an average at least 10 collegiate scholarship players a year to successful programs all over the country. Since he's been on the staff at Edna Karr, Brown has enhanced the football program's visibility in the ultra-competitive Louisiana high school rankings, with the team having competed in six of the last seven state title games, and recently winning the 2016 4A State Championship title.
"We congratulate Coach Brown on his team's success this season and admire the tremendous dedication and devotion he has displayed in guiding Edna Karr to the Louisiana state championship," said Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis. "We salute the tireless efforts of all of our region's coaches and the values they are instilling in the young men who are participating in prep football. Certainly there were hundreds of worthy candidates and it was difficult to narrow it down to just one winner but Coach Brown's successes certainly merit this distinguished award."
Brown will be invited and recognized during the NFL's week-long celebration of football at the 2017 Pro Bowl in Orlando. Coach Brice Brown will visit Pro Bowl practices, participate in the USA Football National Conference and attend the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium.
Two finalists will each receive $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, $10,000 of which will go to his high school's football program. The Shula Award winner will be announced during the third quarter of the 2017 Pro Bowl, airing Sunday, Jan. 29 at 7 PM CT on ESPN, and will receive an additional $10,000 from the NFL Foundation, $5,000 of which will go to his high school's football program. The winner will be recognized at a press conference on Friday, Feb. 3 during Super Bowl week in Houston and walk the red carpet at NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special airing nationally on FOX on Feb. 4, the night before Super Bowl LI.
The winner is selected by a panel of distinguished individuals. New to the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award selection panel this year are two-time Super Bowl champion (XLI, 50) and five-time NFL MVP PEYTON MANNING, Super Bowl XLII champion and Good Morning America contributor MICHAEL STRAHAN and Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker.
The selection panel also includes:
- Coach DON SHULA – the winningest coach in NFL history
- Former Dallas Cowboys Personnel Director and NFL.com contributor GIL BRANDT
- 2015 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award Winner MICHAEL BURNETT
- Former Indianapolis Colts Coach and current NBC analyst TONY DUNGY
- Executive Director of USA Football SCOTT HALLENBECK
- Retired IBM CEO SAMUEL PALMISANO
- Former Secretary of State, Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution and faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business CONDOLEEZZA RICE
- Former Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association GRANT TEAFF
- Aplington-Parkersburg High School Principal and son of the school's late football coach, Ed Thomas, AARON THOMAS
